The longer this 1001 list goes on, the more I question some of the inclusions. Usually, that's as I come across them - a sequel that just tacks a '2' on the end, for example. But sometimes an entry lets me look back and wonder why clearly inferior versions of a game were considered must-plays.
This is the fourth Mario Kart title to be featured on the 1001 list. Gran Turismo and Forza Motorsport are on here twice. Ridge Racer three times. Mario Kart... well, no spoilers, but it's not done yet, even after its fourth 'worthy' inclusion, Mario Kart DS.
Fun Times
You know how Mario Kart DS works. Pick a racer, pick a kart, pick a cup and get going. The formula hasn't changed because the formula works. It's an arcade racer with weapons, rubber bands, and all the swearing you can imagine - under the right circumstances.
This time, however - finally - it's broken through the third dimension, where sprites are banished, for the most part. Mario Kart has grown up, and on a handheld, of all things. And a handheld that actually makes a bit of sense for displaying a map depicting the race, and the race itself, at the same time.
It's such a good map that you can even navigate the courses using it. But perhaps not because it's detailed...
Frustrations
I played this on the DS because it really isn't hard to find Mario Kart DS these days. What I found was an absolutely playable game, but my word did it feel slow and laborious. Even in the higher speed classes, it was like I was driving through mud, and I'm not just talking about the Luigi's Mansion circuit.
Everything else was fairly snappy. The music was beeping and booping away, the weapons were whizzing down the track towards unsuspecting targets... it was all working as intended, but just had no speed behind it.
Maybe Mario's weedy little kart wasn't cutting it. I've never really cared for the details of those kart stats. Handling? Acceleration? What do they matter when rubber bands will fling the competition back into contention, or when a blue shell will stop you in your tracks?
Mario Kart titles are about hectic racing where seemingly everything is out to get you. What's the point in stats?
As I say, the gameplay is practically unchanged from previous Mario Kart titles, but Mario Kart DS is perhaps the first of the series to really show off. Super Mario Kart will always have that timeless look (duh), whereas Mario Kart 64 will always look like a Nintendo 64 game, and who wants that? Mario Kart DS, however, looks about as 'Mario Kart' as you can get, whatever that means.
The competitors are all 3D models, taking up physical space on the track. You're not driving a sprite anymore, you're driving a kart. It helps that it's so slow you shouldn't have too much of a problem with that, but still, something about that switch is important to note.
After playing on the DS, I headed into the land of emulation to gather all these screenshots, where the story is, sadly, worse. Slowdowns and stutters were the order of the day, and while it is still playable, it's not exactly enjoyable to do so. Maybe a change in the emulator will solve that problem, but with the real thing, that's not an urgent problem to solve.
Further Fun Times
There are multiple cups to choose from, some of which include circuits from the best Mario Kart titles, brought into the 21st Century with a bit of polish. Mario Circuit 1 comes complete with that music, so I was all ready to praise Mario Kart DS until I was blue in the face.
I just wish something happened on the track worth noting. It was a strangely quiet race, this. I've no idea how I did so poorly, either. I'm not a Mario Kart pro, but getting lots of 1st places against the AI is what you do. It's what you need to do to unlock stuff, isn't it? Why can't I do that?
Further Frustrations
A change in scenery didn't help me. Turns out driving into banana skins will wreck your race. Who knew? Other than everyone who has ever played a Mario Kart title. It can be brutal. A guaranteed high finish can turn into 5th or 6th after a single mistake, and sometimes there's just no way to come back from it, even with power-ups.
I came third in that cup, but it was very much a case of 'best of the rest'. I just couldn't find my way into Mario Kart DS in the same way I was able to get into other titles in the series. It felt much harder, perhaps owing to that weird sense of speed or lack thereof.
Final Word
I played through a couple of cups, both on original hardware and through emulation, and I have to say that Mario Kart DS clearly stands out above the other three Mario Kart titles so far, but that much is probably obvious.
The advances in hardware have allowed the 3D racer on a handheld dream to become a reality, and with the inclusion of tracks from the past, Mario Kart DS effectively makes Super Circuit obsolete. If you want a handheld Mario Kart released before 2010, you go to the DS.
I wouldn't say it's the best of the series, because it isn't, and also because I'm not really here to do that. I'm here to rate what I see and what I see is, frankly, perfectly playable, if a little awkward and maybe difficult - I've not played enough to be sure, I suppose.
I'd be happy if all I had to play was Mario Kart DS. I might get bored of it, I might wish there was more to it, but if there were other players nearby that wanted a piece of the carnage, yeah, there's a good time to be had. Well, one player is going to have a good time, at least.
Give it a go. You've got no reason no to.
Fun Facts
Ideas to make use of the touchscreen, such as directly dropping obstacles onto the track, proved to be too complicated and were rightly scrapped from the game. Keep it simple, stupid.
Mario Kart DS, developed by Nintendo EAD Group No. 1, first released in 2005.
Version played: Nintendo DS, 2005, also via emulation.